Coin receptacle



' Oct. 30, 1956 E. c. ARZIG COIN RECEPTACLE 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1954 IIIII/A'Il I//IIIIIIII/III fnuenibrs Fdzuzzrcifl WI Oct. 30, 1956 E. c. ARZIG com RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29, 1954 United States Patent COIN RECEPTACLE Edward C. Arzig, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Miller Meters, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Application July 29, 1954, Serial No. 446,581

4 Claims. (Cl. 23215) The present invention relates to a coin receptacle and more particularly to a coin receptacle adapted for use with a coin operated mechanism such as a parking meter or the like.

It is the general object of this invention to produce a new and improved coin receptacle.

It is a more specific object of the inventionto produce a coin receptacle adapted for use .within the housing of a parking meter or the like and which is automatically opened and closed as the closure door for the housing is opened and closed.

It is another object of the invention to produce a coin receptacle of the type described in the preceding paragraph to provide for rapid emptying of the receptacle by a collector and thus the coin receptacle of the present invention is opened by movement of the housing closure to open position, thereby dumping the coins in the receptacle into a suitable bag or other depository carried by the collector and further to provide a coin receptacle which not only is automatically closed as the closure for the housing is closed, but also one which will prevent the closure from being fully closed unless the coin receptacle is also fully closed.. By reason of the foregoing construction, reliance'need not be placed on the operation of other receptacle closing means which may or may not function as the housing is closed and whose malfunction can be asserted only by the coin receptacles failure to retain coins therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin receptacle of the type disclosed in the preceding paragraphs which is provided with a coin slot to be aligned with a coin discharge passage leading from the coin operated mechanism which coin slot is normally closed by spring members but is opened as the coin receptacle is moved to coin-receiving position, thereby permitting coins passing through the passage to drop into the coin receptacle.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparentfrom the following description and drawings in'which' Fig. l is a-side elevationalviewof a parking meter with which the present invention may be used;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the parking meter shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the housing shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken 90 from the section of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the parking meter shown in Fig. 1 showing the closure door in partially opened position;

Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 5 showing the closure in fully opened position;

Fig. 7 is a view like Fig. 5 showing the closure moved partially toward closed position;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the top portion of the coin receptacle of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of said coin receptacle;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view showing the top portion of the receptacle of the present invention and a portion of the parking meter housing; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 11--11 of Fig. 3.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of exemplary disclosure the present invention has been illustrated and will hereafter be described as used in conjunction with a parking meter, although it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the principle of the invention may be embodied in other forms and that the coin receptacle herein described and claimed may be used in conjunction with other coin operated devices.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a parking meter generally designated as 20, having a housing divided by a horizontal plate 21 into an upper portion 22 enclosing the mechanism of the parking meter and a lower portion 23 into which coins inserted in the meter are ultimately discharged. The parking meter 20 is mounted on a post 24 in the usual manner.

The lower portion 23 of the housing is provided with a closure door 25 which is hinged at 26 to the housing and provided with a lock 27. Mounted on the closure is a substantially rectangular container 28 having one side thereof made in the form of a sliding door 29. To provide for sliding movement of the door 29, it is provided with flanges 30 (Fig. 11) slideable in channels 31 formed on opposite side walls of the container 28. The door isprovided at one end with an inturned edge 32 and intermediate its ends with a lip 33 for purposes hereafter to be described.

A leaf spring 35 is secured to a side 36 of the lower housing portion 23 and is provided with a hook-like end portion 37 extending into the path of movement of the door 29 and more specifically into the path of movement of the lip 33 as the closure is moved from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6.

The plate 21 is provided with a coin passage 38 through which coins inserted in the meter ultimately pass, and the coin receptacle 28 is provided with a slot 39 on its top face aligned with the passage 38 when the receptacle is in the coin-receiving position illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 10. Adjacent the coin slot 39 there is mounted a pair of spring members 40 normally urged' formed a plurality of lips 41 positioned to contact portions of the spring members 40 as the coin receptacle is moved to coin-receiving position, thus bending the spring members 40 inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 10, thereby opening or unblocking the slot 39 to permit coins to drop into the receptacle.

The operation of the coin receptacle of the present invention will readily be understood from the foregoing description and by a reference to Figs. 5-7. When the lock 27 is opened and the closure 25 swung upwardly, the receptacle, being mounted on the closure, moves therewith. As the hook portion 37 is positioned in the path of movement of the lip 33, as the closure is swung outwardly, engagement of the lip by the hook portion 37 occurs and further outward swinging movement of the closure serves to slide open the door 29 permitting the coins to fall out. Thus when the coin receptacle is in the position of Fig. 6, it is in a coin-discharging position.

a ,3 A collector collecting coins from the parkingmetersneed only position his coin bag adjacent the face of the meter, insert the key in the lock and swing the closure 25 outwardly. -The .coin-;re ceptacleiwill thereupon automaticallybe opened in. :the'. manner zjustzdescribedmndnthe rrioins therein discharged.

After thecoins .havecbeen: discharged, the collector need merely close the closure 25 and, ,byxyirtureof-the fact :that a complete closurccan-beefiected, heiisgassured that the coin receptaclehas alsoxbeenclosed. ,-It'.will .be noted in Fig. 7 that as the closure.;25,is' being closed, that is, is being vmoved :in :the direction of theszarrow, the inturned edge 32 of the door-.contacts.;the;'lower face of the horizontal -plate',21 and further. closing:movement of: the closure serves to. slidethe door129;to closed position on the receptacle. As;the;coin receptacleis:moved to coin-receiving position not only isthe door :29 fully closed; but.also;the.lips 41 willhave contactedithe-spring members-40 opening the slot39. -EShould for any reason the door 29 jam or otherwise fail. to;close,-.such malfunction is made clear to thecollector,;as,he-will-beaunable to effect complete closing ofthe .ClOSHIEIiZS.fflIldQthllSlIficeive a warningof the factthatthecoin receptacldis not operating properly.

From the foregoing it is believed clear-that theicoin'receptacle of the present inventionis suchzas ;to;provide a speedy emptying of the ,coinsfromthe receptacle'by merely opening the housingclosure door, that the .door of the coin receptacle is automaticallycloscd. tassthe closure is shut and that a'warning is providedforthe collector in the event the vcoin receptacle ;.door should :fail to operate properly. Thus the collection of :coinsz-from the coin receptaclescan not onlybeispeedygbutalsocan be effected with full assurance that .upon;shutting.of the closure, the coin receptacle is again properlyaconditioned to receive further coins from the meter.

I claim:

1. A coin receptacle for userina parkingmeter :housing or the like comprising a container mountedv in :the housing for movement between ,a-gcoinrreceiving:andsa coin-discharging position, a sliding door onJthe container having a portion engageable with means for opening the door, door opening means in the housing andiextending into the path of movement of said engageable portion on the door, said door opening-means being spaced fromtheengageable portion when the containeris in the coinreceiving position and being operable "to engage saidengageable portion and open the door only after the ;container has been moved a predetermined distance toward coin-discharging position, and other meansyin the heming positioned to engage and closethe door 'as the container is moved to coin-receiving position.

2. A coin receptacle for usein a parking meterhousing or the like having a movable closure. for the housing comprising a container mounted onithe closure andwithin the housing and movable with movementof'the closure from a coin-receiving to a coin-discharging position, a sliding door on the container having a portionengage- "able withsmeanswforhopening-thetidoor,,doormpening means in the housing and. extending into the path of movement of said engageable portion on the door, said door opening means being spaced from the engageable portion when the container is in the coin-receiving position and being operable to engage said engageable portion and slide open the door' only after the container has been moved a predetermined. distance toward coin-discharging position, and means in thehousing positioned to engage .and close: the.-.door .as': the. containertistmoved to coin-receivingposition;with the lastnamed means and said door cooperating topreventmovement-of;the closure to move the container to coin-receiving position until said door is closed.

3. A coin receptacle for use in a parking meter housing or the like having a swingable closure for the housing comprising a container mounted on the closure and swingabletherewith from --avcoin-.receiving to a 'coin discharging position, :a' sliding dooron the container, a door openingimember tin :thehousing :having a "hook-like portion positioned in the path of movement of a part of -the door, :being spaced'from said partwhen thecontainer is: in the coin-receiving position andtbeing operable to engage said part and slide-open: the door. only after the= container has been. moved. a: predetermined =distance toward-coindischarging position,; said housing-having a portion positionedtoengage :and'islide closed. the :door as the container is moved to coin-receiving positionwith saidvportion of :the housing .and "saidszdoor cooperatingto-prevent .movementiofxthe :closure to move -the container to coin-receiving position. until=said door'is closed.

4. Avcoin receptacle-for. use'in-aparking'meter housing or. the like:having aipivoted closure for'; the housing comprising a. container mounted. on the closuretand pivotable therewith from a coin-receiving positionwvherein a slotin: the container is aligned with a coin passage in the housing to. a coin-discharging position, a sliding door on'the.containerzhaving.an-engagingaportion, a-leaf References Cited in thefile rofithiszpatent UNITED STATESPATENTS 306,953 Prince Oct. 21, .1884 1,115,606 Sowerby Nov. 3,1914 2,570,920 vClough. Oct. 9, 1951 

